


Radio Silent

by DapperSheep



Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Food Souls Trying to Deal, Gen, Many Food Souls, Not Everyone Will Be Tagged, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 05:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15834978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DapperSheep/pseuds/DapperSheep
Summary: For the 7 days their Master Attendant had sunk into a deep, unrousable sleep on the boat to Sakurajima, their Food Souls back home were trying to be calm.Keyword: Trying.[Semi spoilers for the Sakurajima Arc]





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing around with some worldbuilding/headcanons as usual. It’s good fun. Also I've split this one-shot into five chapters because it got too long. I would highly suggest reading it in the "Entire Work" layout.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

 

Today was supposed to be another sparring day between Steak and Tom Yum.

It was supposed to be another day when Miso Soup, who had been taken off the Exploration team along with Sanma, would have jumped over the back fence to make his way to the red light district despite the early hours for most businesses there.

It would have been another day for Plum Juice and Yuxiang to pore over numbers and books, respectively.

It should have been just another normal day for the Food Souls while their Master Attendant was away on a trip to Sakurajima.

But the sudden ripple in the air before a thundering crash in the backyard immediately put a stop to any thoughts for today’s plans.

Sanma’s cats hissed and yowled, immediately dispersing from the loud sound. Five figures appeared almost simultaneously and fell or staggered whichever way as their feet met the ground.

Miso Soup toppled over the fence with a surprised yelp at the sound. Sanma was quick to fall into his fighting stance, a hand on the hilt of his katana as the figures became corporeal and recognizable. His eyes widened in surprise when he could finally put names to the intruders.

“Crab-san?” He blurted out.

“Damn it!” The aforementioned Food Soul was on his knees, punching the ground as he gritted his teeth. “We couldn’t do anything!”

His outcry had attracted Steak’s attention as the latter quickly arrived to investigate the noise, all thoughts of meeting Tom Yum at their usual spot forgotten. The horned Food Soul’s eyes immediately landed on the silent snow-haired healer, who hadn’t yet moved to pick herself up.

“Milk? What is going on?” Steak demanded as he rushed to her side. In the short span that the main team had suddenly arrived, other Food Souls who had heard the noise had gathered to see what was the commotion.

Long Bao pushed his way through the thin crowd and immediately came over to help Black Tea up as well. “Why are you guys here? I thought you were with Master Attendant?”

“We were!” Bamboo cried out, all attention suddenly on him. “I was beside Master Ichi when a big red looking smoke appeared over the water-”

“A miasma.” Milk calmly interjected, at the same time she put a steadying hand on Bamboo Rice’s arm to keep him from flailing or getting too overworked. Bamboo gritted his teeth and looked away, unable to process everything that had transpired to be able to explain properly what had happened to them.

Long Bao moved to help his brother up, while the older Food Soul looked equal parts dismayed, ashamed and angry. He wasn’t talking either.

The sound of a window creaking open caught the attention of a few, and they looked up to see Plum Juice leaning over the windowsill and looked down at them, though his passive expression said that he would rather listen in than lecture from his perch.

Vodka had picked herself up during the initial confusion and was now standing to the side, her usually dispassionate gaze even more sullen and dark. Andre had taken to perch on the fence nearby. No one dared to ask a question of her.

It was Black Tea who informed the Food Souls who had gathered. She began, “There was no warning. The miasma suddenly rolled in, and Master Peixes ordered us below deck, but they were caught in it as well. It seemed to have drained Master Attendant of their power so much that they weren’t able to keep us all anchored to their location. That and losing consciousness before they could have done anything but push Rice with us.”

“B-but where’s Rice?” Jiuniang stuttered out from somewhere behind Sakuramochi. “She doesn’t… she’s not here.”

Black Tea shook her head. “It’s likely she’s still on the boat with Master Attendant. It doesn’t take a lot to keep her anchored to them.”

A murmur ran through the gathered crowd of Food Souls, all of them wondering what had caused the miasma and the subsequent forced return of five of their strongest. They’ve heard bits and pieces about Sakurajima and how no one has ever been in or out of that place for over a decade, but they hadn’t understood, until now, just what that actually meant.

Many voiced their questions to the four and yet none of them were able to give them a satisfactory answer. Master Attendant had been understanding towards them, and though the Food Souls knew that humans lifespans were ever so short, the very idea that their Master might be defenseless and alone…

“They’re not… they’re not dead, are they?” Salad asked, near tears already. Beside him, Sakuramochi gasped in mild horror.

“Salad you shouldn’t say such a thing!” Sakuramochi exclaimed, her tone wavering. “I don’t… I don’t _feel_ that my contract has been broken. But do you all…?”

Her unspoken question was met with headshakes and mumbled no’s. At the least, they all felt themselves still tethered to the human who had summoned them. Yet the other end of that thread was somehow lost in the figurative dark. They weren’t sure how to react to this.

“We need to find a boat going out to Sakurajima.”

“ _Is_ there a boat any human would be willing to lend us to go out to sea?”

“Well what else am I supposed to suggest? We can’t just _step between spaces_. That might kill Master Peixes!”

“I know but…!”

Someone cleared their throat behind them. They all turned, focused on the current manager of their restaurant standing at the threshold to the back kitchen.

“My deepest apologies everyone. But we can’t allow this to stop us from working.” Pudding spoke to them, eyeing each and every one gathered. “The most we could hope for is that Master Attendant pulls through this danger as unscathed as possible, and we can be sure that once they have a clear way to communicate with us, they will.”

Reluctantly, the Food Souls looked to each other but no one moved. Some even looked on the verge of arguing with his words.

Pudding sighed internally. “If Master Attendant is indeed alive though simply out of reach, then you wouldn’t want them coming home to a mess, would you?” He addressed them all. That at least, had shaken some out of their confused stupor and one by one, they began to return to their duties. Crab and Long Bao were murmuring low to each other, before Long Bao separated from his brother and went back to the restaurant.

After the backyard was mostly emptied of the Food Souls on duty, Pudding turned to the main team and Steak, who had remained with them.

“My gratitude, Pudding.” Steak thanked him.

The Food Soul inclined his head. “I’ll keep the restaurant running as smoothly as possible.” His eyebrows furrowed a little as he considered the situation. “Is there really no way to reach Master Attendant?”

“Not that I know of.” Black Tea answered solemnly. None of them knew what to do, and there weren’t enough options available to them.

It truly seemed like a helpless situation.

“Please return to your duties, Pudding.” Steak said, acting ever as their Master’s second-in-command in their absence. Perhaps it had something to do with his particular Food Soul’s origins that shaped his kind, because despite his temper and insatiable inclination to fight, Steak had a good head on his shoulders.

Pudding gave them an acknowledging nod before returning to the restaurant.

At a loss, it seemed that the best the main team could do was recover their strength and be ready to heed the call of their Master the moment they feel the connection again. They separated ways, off to do what could calm them.

And then all was left was Sanma, who had been listening in quietly from the sides. His cats had slowly returned, now sitting at his feet and meowing for his attention. He bent to pick one up, the calico that he particularly favored.

He looked around the empty backyard once, then crossed over to the fence and peered over it.

“Miso.” Sanma said gently at the still crouched Food Soul. “Are you alright?”

“Eh? Yes, I’m alright. Very much so!” Miso Soup stood abruptly, grinning from ear to ear. Aside from his rumpled clothes from the fall, he looked none worse for wear.

“You heard all of it?”

Miso made a hurt face. “You make it sound like I don’t listen at all! That’s mean of you.” He whined. The swordsman Food Soul canted his head before looking down at the cat in his arms. He ignored the half-hearted accusation.

“What do you think we should do?” Sanma asked in his ever gentle tone.

Miso Soup looked at him, almost thoughtful. “You heard them too, right? There’s nothing we can do.” Miso swatted his hand at something invisible. “Well, since it’s no use moping, I’m going to head to town. Do you want to come along? I could introduce you to a woman or two.”

“I’m not interested.”

“You’re no fun.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

A day had passed. And there was no sign nor word from their Master or anyone who had been on the trip.

The air had been filled with tension from the start of the day. By now, everyone in the household had heard of what happened. Few had been able to sleep or rest easy though Pudding’s words resonated with them, and so those few busied themselves with making sure that their Master’s home -theirs, as well- was cleaned and ready to welcome their Master home.

It was the least they could do to ease their minds.

After the restaurant closed for the day, the main team and a few others had settled down in the emptied dining hall.

Yes they had days when their Master Attendant disappeared with little to no word, but it was always preceded with the knowledge that they had been in the presence of at least one of them -Rice notwithstanding-, and that their disappearance often had to do with business with other humans.

This… this was different.

Vodka had tried once to contact their Master Attendant, surprising everyone in the room in that moment that she would have cared to initiate a contact at all.

“Nothing.” She gritted out, taking another swig of alcohol and none too gently slamming the cup back on the table. The sound made those nearest flinch.

“Have any of you tried to contact Miss Olivia’s Food Souls?” Long Bao asked from where he sat beside his brother. The tea he’d made for Crab sat untouched behind them on the table, but he decided that for now, he could overlook it. Crab didn’t always speak his mind, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t always thinking.

“I made inquiries.” Yuxiang answered. She blew a long stream of smoke from her pipe before she resumed talking. “They know nothing either. Mistress Olivia’s main team weren’t on the boat when it happened. Tiramisu seems to have been able to stay onboard the ship. We didn’t see her anywhere.” A testament to Olivia’s prowess, being able to keep someone like Tiramisu anchored even under such duress.

But that aside, it didn’t sound like good news to them.

“Is waiting all we could do?” The question came from Milk. She fumbled with the hem of her apron, a lost look in her milky white eyes.

“Waiting is the only safe option we have.” Black Tea answered. She took a sip of her tea then carefully placed the delicate teacup back on its plate. “We can’t do anything rash. What if our Master Attendant is in a weak state? Forcing ourselves, even just one of us, to move to their side could be what ends them.”

It was a reckless move, that much was certain. Everyone gathered had their heads hung low and feeling uncomfortable at this feeling of being both listless and desperate to hear word from their Master Attendant.

The sound of a chair scraping the floor made Black Tea jerk her head up to see Vodka standing and making her way to the front door.

“Where are you going?”

“Out. Andre needs to fly, and I’m out of alcohol.” She answered tersely and was gone before anyone could say anything else.

Eventually, night began to settle fully. The Food Souls in the hall left one by one to do what they could to fill in the silence and to distract their thoughts from anxiety. But in one vein or another, the oppressive silence allowed them to reflect on something they never really bothered to put much thought to until now.

They don’t know what to make of their attachment to their Master Attendant, who is simply a mortal human like any other. It would be easy to explain it away as the sheer force of their contract telling them that their Master Attendant is the most important.

But it wasn’t. Not at this point.

Peixes wasn’t the most charming, nor the cruelest, nor the most outstanding of Master Attendants. They were ordinary, with nothing to their name but a restaurant and a multitude of Food Souls behind their back. Having a multitude of Food Souls is still a feat, to be sure, but it wasn’t an uncommon talent.

So why is it that they inspire such concern from their Food Souls? No one had any one answer that they were sure was correct.

They wondered if having emotions and free will was as great as it sounded. While their ability to express their feelings was unshackled, they didn’t like this feeling of helplessness.

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

“You seem distracted today, Coffee.”

“Do I? Huh…” Coffee mumbled absentmindedly as he set aside a cleaned mug on the rack.

From his seat at the counter, Chocolate studied the blonde Food Soul who had been cleaning the same mug for the past five minutes. He wasn’t about to point that out, either.

“Perhaps it’s a sweetheart?” Chocolate ventured to ask.

“Uhm, no.”

“Hm, a crush then? Puppy love?”

“No?”

“Oh don’t tell me, you’re ruminating on the benefits of topping or bottoming?”

“What? No. Chocolate, why would you even…?” Coffee trailed off and sighed loudly. He looked to the ceiling and silently counted to ten. Thank whatever god is listening that his customers were too busy chattering away with each other to hear whatever Chocolate was spewing out.

“It’s nothing, really.” Coffee insisted.

The flat look on Chocolate’s face told Coffee he bought none of that excuse. “If you’re not going to tell me, I could always get one of the other Food Souls to. Salad looks like he would give me the answer I need, with the right coaxing.”

“You remember the last time you ‘coaxed’ Salad.” Coffee pointed out. Chocolate smiled indulgently. Oh yes, he did.

The dark-skinned Food Soul let out a soft chuckle. “What’s this? Jealous? I never thought you would have it in you, Coffee.” He spoke with a teasing air.

“Could you please cut it out?” Coffee smiled, all teeth and with all the intention of seeing if he could actually punch Chocolate in the face if this went on. He wasn’t in the mood for his flirtatious attitude right now.

The other Food Soul must have sensed the hostile air around his friend and immediately raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. No sense in teasing you today, spoilsport.”

Immediately, Coffee deflated and an apologetic look flashed across his face. “Sorry. It’s just been four days now and there’s still no word.” He picked up a rag and crumpled it in his hands, something at least to keep his hands busy. It was that or slowly tear the napkins to pieces. “The house feels like a minefield.”

Chocolate was here almost every day. He knew what Coffee was talking about. Despite being unbounded, Coffee’s Master Attendant was a decent person in his eyes so he could understand -a little- why their Food Souls all felt attached to them in various ways.

And for one thing, he also knew Coffee was dense to his own emotions.

He rested his chin against his knuckles as his gaze rests on Coffee. “I find this ironic, but I’m telling you now that worrying isn’t going to speed things up.” He told the other.

“I know that.”

“Or making bad decisions hoping to get the results you’re desperate for.”

“What bad decisions?”

_Oh this was indeed irony on a lesser degree._

With his free hand, Chocolate pointed a finger at the blonde Food Soul. “You look like you were considering it.” That made Coffee frown, somewhat offended but also annoyed with himself. Was he that easy to read when he was worried?

Chocolate couldn’t help it. Seeing his friend with a pouting frown he was sure was accidental made the dark-skinned Food Soul snort. That reaction finally made that frown turn genuinely offended.

“I have half a mind to politely evict you from my shop right now.”

Chocolate shrugged lightly. “Look, how about I take you out to town tonight? For a change of scenery.” He offered. “You can invite your sister too, if you feel so inclined.”

“Sister…? You mean Milk?” Coffee wondered why was it that some people decided to call Milk his sister. Even their Master Attendant was inclined to use that term once in a while- Wait, how did Chocolate even pick that up?

Before he could ask, Chocolate replied, “You said everyone’s tense. Someone’s bound to snap and I wouldn’t want that to be you. Or for you to try and mediate if it happens tonight.”

Coffee smiled wryly. “What makes you think I’d snap?”

“Oh… nothing, really.”

It wasn’t lost on Coffee that Chocolate was repeating his earlier answer in what he thinks is an imitation of what he sounded like to the other. So much for Chocolate’s remark of not teasing him today. He was outright bullying him.

“I’m kidding. Just… go out with me. I’m serious about that.” Chocolate leaned forward over the counter. “A breath of fresh air would do you some good.”

Their gazes met and held. Baby blue eyes boring into eyes of azure blue.

Coffee was the first to look away. “I’ll think about it.”

Which was as good as a yes in Chocolate’s book. He considered it a small victory and settled back into his chair, lifting the now lukewarm cup of coffee and taking a sip.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, if any of you readers are familiar with my other work, "Two Words, Seven Years Silent", you may treat this chapter like a future teaser for that particular write-up. Not much in the way of spoilers, though. I just couldn't resist writing this one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Orange Juice and Nasi Lemak are interesting study cases, for various reasons. I'd write in Mango Pudding as well, but I seriously didn't know where to put her where she wouldn't aggravate the situation into a full on cat brawl in the hallway.

 

The sixth day saw an argument between Orange Juice and unsurprisingly, Nasi Lemak. But to call it simply an argument was an understatement.

The two had always been at odds that even their put-upon niceties towards each other did the exact opposite of tolerating each others’ presence. Their Master Attendant had learned early on that nothing short of either one’s dissipating from this plane would stop them from going head to head. And so hard compromises had to be made.

Usually, Orange Juice would be out with a delivery team and Nasi Lemak would be helping with the restaurant and house chores, so they never get more than a minute or two of contact.

But today, Orange Juice had been making her way to the Ice Rink when she noticed a magical shift in the air. Hurrying towards the source out of curiosity, she turned the corner to find Nasi Lemak’s back turned to her and the space around her was starting to ripple.

She didn’t think twice about tackling the twin-tailed Food Soul to the floor before the other could even begin _stepping between spaces_.

“You can’t do that!” Orange Juice nearly yelled, all traces of the natural affection in her tone replaced with righteous anger. “Didn’t you hear what they said?”

“And wait until I realize that my Master Attendant is well and gone when I could have done something to protect them?!” Nasi Lemak shouted back, snarling and trying her hardest to kick and struggle against Orange Juice’s hold. “Let me go! My Master Attendant needs me!”

“I’d thought you were obsessed, but not like this!”

“I _love_ them! I love them more than you could ever fathom with your stupid little notions of love.” Nasi Lemak spat.

“Master Attendant, let’s go to the beach together! I’m so _dying_ to visit it! Master Attendant, why don’t you take me out sometime, ne~?” Nasi Lemak spoke the following words in an overly sweet imitation of Orange Juice. “These filthy words you spout at my beloved Master makes me sick. You know what you are? Selfish! Selfish! Selfish!”

“Me? Selfish? This coming from a hypocrite like you is laughable! Your disgusting clinginess towards Master Attendant hadn’t gone unnoticed by anyone!”

“What do you know about love?”

“I should be asking you that!”

“That’s enough both of you!”

A third voice joined in and immediately Orange Juice found herself being forcefully extracted from Nasi Lemak, who in turn had been hauled up and her wrists seized in Crab Long Bao’s grip before she could pull out her fan. Long Bao, despite his deceptively youthful frame, was able to keep Orange Juice from lunging at Nasi Lemak.

“Miss Orange Juice, please!” Long Bao implored. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“ _She_ tried to _step between spaces_!” Orange Juice cried out in frustration. “I did nothing wrong!”

Tiramisu, who had been the third voice, gasped softly and turned to Nasi Lemak. “You didn’t. Nasi, please tell me you didn’t.” Tiramisu spoke, sounding disappointed as if Nasi’s action hurt her instead.

Nasi Lemak gritted her teeth and looked away, her eyes watering. Her silence was answer enough.

“Oh Nasi...” Tiramisu whispered, coming closer with a hand outstretched. She didn’t hesitate to soothingly caress the shorter girl’s cheek, but Nasi narrowed her eyes and rebuffed the contact.

“It’s no use. Nothing’s going to get through to her.” Orange Juice glowered at the other Food Soul. She tugged at Long Bao’s hold and the other Food Soul reluctantly let her go.

“Hey, don’t make this worse.” Crab warned Orange Juice.

Orange Juice, for all that she was one of the more pacifistic Food Soul types to exist, marched up until she was in front of Nasi Lemak and giving her a very frigid glare.

“Remember this, if you so much as try to do this stunt again, I am not bound by contract or principles to beat you senseless.” Orange Juice said icily. “You hurt Master Attendant under the illusion of caring for them, and I will make sure you pay for it.”

“That’s enough, Orange Juice. You were on your way to the Ice Rink, right?” Crab intoned. Orange Juice bit her lip and, with a last glare at Nasi Lemak, turned and continued on her way.

With the danger having passed, Crab let go of Nasi Lemak’s wrists and sighed.

“Well, that could have gone better.” He quipped, in an attempt to shake off the awkward silence after Orange Juice was out of earshot.

“Do you all hate me that much?” The question came out flat. All eyes turned to Nasi Lemak who was looking at a spot on the wall to the left.

“Nasi, no. We don’t hate you.”

“I’m not dumb, Tiramisu.” Nasi Lemak interrupted tonelessly. “Just because I’m a Nasi Lemak, you all immediately think the worst of me.”

“You’re not exactly making it easy for us to accept you.” Crab said, earning him a silent glare from Tiramisu and a long-suffering one from Long Bao.

A long silence followed, broken when Nasi sighed loudly and giggled.

“Heh. Well, it’s not like I care about any of you.” She said, to no one in particular. A wistful smile slowly spread across her lips and she beamed as if there was nothing wrong and nothing had transpired for the last while. “Only Master Attendant matters because they so willingly called me to their side. But don’t worry, I won’t be _stepping_ again. I’ll just make sure the house is nice and clean for when Master Attendant returns~!”

Against Tiramisu’s repeated calls for her to stay and talk, Nasi Lemak turned and headed back in the direction of the restaurant with a small skip in her otherwise brisk pace. She narrowly avoided Plum Juice and his rolls of parchment.

Plum Juice could only glower as she passed and noticed the three other Food Souls in the hallway. Despite not being witness to the near fight, Plum Juice sensed just from the tension in the air that something had transpired.

“Do I even want to know what happened?” He asked tiredly.

All the Bao siblings could do was look at each other and sigh. Tiramisu bit her lip and furrowed her brows. Not even a month into her arrival, and she was already pulled in so deep with the drama of this ragtag group.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally reached the end! And because this is the last part, it's very short and only meant to conclude the story with the foregone conclusion.

 

The seventh morning passed. The sun slowly lifted into the sky, and the hustle and bustle of Gloriville’s population marched on. There was no time to mourn or worry over a missing Master Attendant, when people go missing or die almost all the time.

This was a hard truth that the Food Souls understood, but not everyone were willing to accept it wholeheartedly. But Peixes’ Food Souls knew that, they weren’t supposed to idle too long or allow themselves to fall into doubt.

The threads that bind them to their Master Attendant were yet firm and strong.

Their Master Attendant was still alive.

There was still hope.

And so they plow through the morning like they had been doing for the past days. The restaurant opened on the dot and the staff rotated like clockwork. Deliveries were scheduled and sent out, and the Exploration team were en route to Nevras.

Everyone did their part to keep the system of their Master Attendant working like a finely tuned machine.

But just as they began settling into a routine, the winds began to change.

In the coffee shop, Plum Juice stopped mid-lecture at Coffee and Chocolate. While browsing books at a local flea market, Yuxiang almost choked on an inhale of her pipe.

Under the shade of a tree, Long Bao smiled serenely as Crab stood up. Black Tea blinked as she looked towards Milk, who shared the same incredulous expression she wore.

Somewhere on the long road between Gloriville and the Light Kingdom, Orange Juice looked up to the sky in surprise. Amongst the noise of the restaurant, Nasi Lemak restrained herself from smiling too widely.

Steak barely managed to sidestep a well-aimed roundhouse from Tom Yum, who promptly stumbled. Miso Soup fell over the fence again. Sanma, with eyes closed, allowed a small relieved smile to grace his lips.

They all felt it at the same time, like a ripple that reverberated in rhythm with the pulses of their soul cores. The silence ended, and with it came the tug of power of unspoken words bidding them to obey.

 

“ _Food Souls. To me.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all my readers, thanks for reading and putting up with my need to make these works of fiction because FooFan is just too good to pass up writing stories for. I should be resuming with writing TWSYS pretty soon.


End file.
